Video and photo gallery: Norwich City’s European adventure - Bergkamp does the damage as Canaries fall to Inter Milan
Penalty area action at the San Siro. - Credit: Archant
The delight of Bayern was soon to be tempered a little as the reality hit.
NORWICH CITY 0, INTER MILAN 1
Nothing is easy in football, and it was always doubly difficult when Italian football teams from the 90s were involved.
Inter were regarded as one of continent's great clubs, and Italy, at the time, a breeding ground for hard, uncompromising football which took no prisoners. Inter had a plan, and it didn't allow for City to get into their stride. And crucially, they did not fall into the trap laid by Bayern – they never under-estimated City.
The Italians also had a genius in Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp, a man who would come to terrorise defences up and down the land in the colours of Arsenal. The sight of him in Inter's stripes was enough for City as, with the game heading towards a goalless draw, he scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after a foul by Robert Newman.
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It was gut-wrenching: and the trip to Italy was still to come.
• Competition: Uefa Cup, third round, first leg
• Date: November 24, 1993
• Norwich City
Gunn, Culverhouse, Butterworth, Newman, Bowen, Goss, Polston, Crook, Sutch, Fox, Sutton
Subs: Power (75)
• Inter Milan
Manager: Osvaldo Bagnoli
Zenga, Bergomi, M Paganin, A Paganin, Orlando, Battistini, Dell'Ano, Jonk, Fontolan, Sosa, Bergkamp
Subs: Ferri (89), Schillaci (89)
• Goals: Inter Milan: Bergkamp (pen, 80)
• Referee: S Muhmenthaler
• Ground: Carrow Road
• Attendance: 20,805
INTER MILAN 1, NORWICH CITY 0
The return leg in Italy was played in the day-time, at a San Siro Stadium which was far from capacity.
Once again, Inter were the perfect model of Italian football – uncompromisingly professional.
And once again it was that man Dennis Bergkamp who did the damage, ending any lingering hopes City had of rescuing the tie. It was rough on City as it came at a time when teams are at their weakest – throwing everything forward trying to get the elusive goal which would keep them in the tie.
Chances went begging, but with players out through injury and suspension, it proved to be a bridge too far for Mike Walker and his men.
The dream was over, but it would never be forgotten. Inter went on to win the competition, beating Austria Salzburg with a pair of 1-0 wins.
Sadly, what followed was the crumbling of the Robert Chase era, relegation the following season and, only now, managing to hold down a place in the top flight for more than one season.
• Competition: Uefa Cup, third round, second leg
• Date: December 8, 1993
• Inter Milan
Zenga, Battistini, M Paganin, A Paganin, Bergomi, Orlando, Shalimov, Dell'Ano, Fontalan, Sosa, Bergkamp
Subs: None
• Norwich City
Gunn, Bowen, Newman, Prior, Woodhouse, Fox, Megson, Goss, Ullathorne, Ekoku, Sutton
Subs: None
• Goals: Inter Milan: Bergkamp (88)
• Referee: Vaclav Krondl
• Ground: San Siro
• Attendance: 30,000
Follow @pinkun1993 on Twitter for real-time updates of Norwich City's Uefa Cup journey from 20 years ago
